the anthony weiner sexting scandal. So many people asking so many questions this morning. Some of those, linsey davis, about exactly what is cheating? Right. And is texting really cheating? And if you've never met the person, as in the case of weiner, when he was just texting an alleged stranger. That's a question we'll get to ultimately. And last night, his wife, huma abedin, got by his side at the op-ed event. She tried to answer the question why she is still standing by her man. We're going to build jobs for people. Reporter: Overnight, anthony weiner, hitting the campaign trail without his wife, huma abedin. But it's huma and her words of forgiveness -- I love him, I have forgiven him. Reporter: That have become for some of us the real story. Even overshadowing her husband's mayoral campaign. She was way too nice in that thing. He needs to be married to judge judy. Reporter: From tv. Would you continue to stand by your man? Reporter: To the streets of new york. I said to myself, seriously? How can she stand in front of all those people and try to make right of it. Reporter: And of course, on twitter. Women around the country, now wondering how abedin could forgive weiner for another sexting scandal? A woman can't win in this situation. If she doesn't show up, she's a disloyal wife. The guy has behaved so badly, that there's nothing for a wife really to do. Reporter: The other question on so many minds this morning. Do explicit e-mails, texts and tweets, like the ones weiner sent even count as cheating? Our expert says the answer is clear. Whether it is with words, whether it's with your body, whether it's with your sexuality, it's considered an affair when you are interacting with another human being in secrecy. Reporter: In an essay for "harper's bazaar," written before weiner's most recent revelation, she says, new yorkers will have to decide for themselves whether or not to give him a second chance. I had to make that same decision for myself, for my son, for our family. And I know in my heart I made the right one. In an e-mail to supporters, weiner answers why it happened after we assume it had stopped. He wrote, it was a terrible mistake that I returned to during a rough time in our marriage. After a lot of reflection, some professional help and a general reorientation of my life, huma has given me a second chance. Linsey, some headshaking here in the studio. We want to welcome in relationship coach donna barnes. We see a lot of people are asking this question. I can't imagine a lot of people are answering it differently, though. Except I think it's a personal choice for everybody. People have open relationships. So, I think the secrecy part is the part that makes it cheating. But there's many different kinds of intimacies. There's emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy. He was doing the sexual intimacy, but probably not the physical or emotional. One thing that struck me at the press conference, she, huma abedin, goes out of her way to say, potentially, I know many of you think differently, but I've decided to forgive him and move on. There's some ownership there. Yeah. And I think the fact they have a child together has a lot more to do with that also. But here's the thing. I mean, as a person, she thinks he's a good human being. And behavior can be changed. I think it's a sexual addiction. That's a process to change. I totally agree with you. I think that there's -- this clearly, to be in a relationship with me, this would have to change. I would have to step out of boundary and say, I'm uncomfortable with this and you need to work on it. Exactly. Why is it the wife is getting a lot of heat here. And some are saying, why is he put her in this position? Running for mayor. And it's just -- that's the unfortunate part. It sounds like they made that decision a year ago. And this happened a year ago. It's a little inopportune that it just came out now. It's the second time. It just happened. But also, this isn't just one that made him leave office. He did it again -- that speaks to the addiction. It's like that alcoholic. They he's having a hard time the. That's probably the way he found comfort pbl not appropriate. But looking for comfort. And donna , thank you. Author of "giving up junk food relationships."

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